


haze of darkness

by Nyodrite



Series: Ideas [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 20:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14984948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyodrite/pseuds/Nyodrite
Summary: — in one world Alphard Black told Orion Black that Voldemort would lead to the fall of their House and Orion did not believe him, leading to the loss of the Black name.This is not that world.





	haze of darkness

**Author's Note:**

> this au has actually been in existence for a while now, at least a year i believe

* * *

**_When Minerva's Owl takes flight,_ **

* * *

 

_Lord Voldemort,_ Orion mused, silently nursing his drink as he watched the red-eyed man charm his wife and brother-in-law at the same time. His gaze slid to the left, unwilling to stare long enough to be drawn into the conversation, to the wall where his _other_ brother-in-law was standing. _Alphard does not like him._ It wasn't a surprise nor really was it unexpected, the Malfoy's annual gala allowed only certain people from a particular standing which for Alphard, whom took great joy in traveling and the vast variety of people he met during them, was boring at best and dreadfully tedious at worse.

_Or, at least,_ Orion noted as Alphard deftly avoided being drawn into the conversation by his siblings in order to head towards where Orion was seated. _That was the worse before this 'Lord Voldemort'._ Because his brother-in-law was conscious of the need to cultivate amiable relationships for future allies too much to not even _attempt_ a civil conversation regardless of how much a particular person irritated him.

"You did not speak with him." Orion says in place of a greeting as his brother-in-law sits across from him.

"I did not." Alphard says agreeably, as if _agreeing_ would dismiss the topic entirely.

It would _not_.

Orion at least has the kindness to allow his brother-in-law to pour himself a drink before pressing the matter. "That is... _unusual._ You make a point to at least greet everyone before withdrawing so as not to cause offense."

"I do not trust him." Alphard eventually said, tone clipped and curt. "That man will bring the end of our family."

He glanced at where the man in question was talking to his wife who, herself, caught his eye in a silent beckon to come greet the man she seemed quite taken with. _It'd be very easy,_ Orion decided as he watched his wife give a polite laugh at whatever this Voldemort fellow said, _to disregard Alphard as biased, or paranoid._ He could, in fact, quite clearly see himself getting up to go to his wife - certainly Walburga expected him to come to her given she drew the man's attention to him.

_It'd be easy,_ Orion acknowledged, _but, perhaps, not_ **_wise_**.He thought as he raised his wine glass as a greeting before deliberately turning his attention to his brother-in-law. “Oh?” He says, prompting but not voicing an opinion towards the statement.

“Yes.” Alphard bites out then takes a drink to get out of saying more.

_Now that just won’t do,_ Orion muses and knocks the ring on his right hand against the table, using it as a focus to make a discreet bubble around them. No one will hear them nor will they be able to read their lips, their conversation would be perfectly private for all they were in public. “Did you See anything, brother?”

It wasn’t common knowledge, in fact Orion was certain that _he_ knew only because he was the current head of the family, but Alphard was a Seer. Nothing like the great Seers of the time before, when magic known and _free_ to be itself without the need for secrecy, but not like the recognized Seers of today, who spout prophecies yet remembered none of it. No, Alphard's talent was far more subtle; a sense of certainty in what will develop into a good investment, a feeling of dread that warns of danger, a tug towards a person or place that were _important_ for some reason or another.

Nothing concrete enough to be _useful_.

_At least_ , Orion mused as his brother-in-law mulled over a response. _Not in a way that the Ministry or even Father would believe._

“He is a haze of darkness, a shadow of death.” Alphard murmured, more to his drink than Orion. “A poisonous cancer that will fester until only the corpse of our House limps along, utterly ignorant that we courted that which poisoned us in the first place.”

_Never,_ he thought as he took a drink rather than reply straight away. _Let it be said that any Black is without a flair for dramatics._

 

* * *

**_the shades of night are gathering._ **

* * *


End file.
